[rha] Coverage of Anti-HRC Demo for Trans Rights

The following is from our Queer friends at RHA (including the HRC is #1 pic)!

Hey RHAers

NY BLADE ArticleGay

City News Piece

Our big pink middle fingers are in both photos. We spiked the demo with our visuals, including a banner which read “Can’t spell LGBT with HRC! Trans Power Now!” In addition, we passed out a couple hundred flyers highlighting the issue. The text of the flyer is below.
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The Flyer
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CAN’T SPELL LGBT WITH HRC!
TRANS RIGHTS = QUEER RIGHTS

Instead of supporting a united queer community, the Human Rights Campaign dumped transgender people from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, but not gender
identity. HRC executive director Joe Solmonese said, “We absolutely do not support and, in fact, oppose legislation that is not absolutely inclusive.” But behind the scenes, he worked to eliminate trans protections.

The House approved this exclusionary version of ENDA, and it’s going to the Senate. 360 queer groups opposed the bill, including all national groups except HRC, Log Cabin Republicans and GLAAD. Even 7 House Democrats, including 5 from NYC, voted against ENDA to protest its exclusion of trans protections.

Even if ENDA doesn’t pass the Senate, HRC will spin their bill into a victory by claiming it put a majority of House members on the record in support of gay rights. But the real victory is that so many LGBT groups (and House Democrats) rallied together to oppose HRC and say we’re not going to turn some queer people into second class citizens so others can
get ahead.

And right now, this solidarity is essential: while gays, lesbians and bisexuals star in sitcoms, many transgender people and gender queers still can’t even do something as simple as use public restrooms without risking harassment, violence and arrest. And let’s never forget: from Stonewall to the WTO protests in Seattle, trans people have consistently battled on the
frontlines for a better world.

HRC’s betrayal of trans people is just the tip of an oil-slicked iceberg. Since HRC receives funding from Shell, BP and Citibank, you can bet their vision won’t stray far from corporate agendas. And, unfortunately, that
includes the Iraq war. Rather than saving the lives of queers here and in Iraq, HRC fights to stockpile the military with queer fodder for Bush’s crusade.

With alliances including the Log Cabin Republicans and Shell, HRC makes it increasingly clear what they spend their $30 million budget on: Helping Right-wing Campaigns.

Contact your Senators and tell them not to vote for ENDA and to issue statements of support for trans people.
Hillary Clinton: (212) 688-6262
Chuck Schumer: (212) 486-4430

Contact HRC and tell them to FUCK OFF (emphasis added by JML): (800) 777-4723
And tell your friends not to spend another dime on them.